My plan was to start selling a house or 2, in maybe 8 months once the tenant pays down the mortgages a bit more.

I am currently renting but I like the idea of house hacking to start out.

In an article I read Michael Galpen of B of A says the housing market is stuck til at least 2026 if not longer.

Google.Search "we buy houses" and "sell my house fast" followed by the market you're interested in. 

For example, a distressed house may cost 200k and if fixed sells for 350k, but it needs 100k in work so the spread is 50k and then work in all the holding costs and closing costs and if there is any hiccups you are under water. 

-it seems like you may be interested in house hacking. 

Now your offer of handling everything no longer exists. 

But no more than 1 purchase a year, so it could be a SFH I buy to do STR or Student Housing or a multi-family in a cheaper market.

You can work with an accountant to work backwards and he can guide you of how much of a house you need to buy to get your income to the lower tax bracket / 12% / 10% / 0% bracket.

I am also adding another bath in another portion of my house and expanding the bedrooms.